A Columbia, South Carolina man was sentenced to prison for his role in a horrific 2017 home invasion in Lexington County, South Carolina, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Peter McCoy.
Brandon Thompson, 33, was sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery — which prohibits robbery or extortion and felon affecting commerce — and being a felon possession of a firearm.
A child called the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in the early morning hours of December 30, 2017 and alerted police of a robbery happening inside the home on Maple View Drive, according to the news release.
When deputies arrived, they found Morris and Quintrell Morris both armed inside the residence, according to the news release.
After detaining the two suspects, deputies found a woman who had been tied up, along with her two children (one of whom alerted police by calling 911).
The woman told police the two men forced her to open a safe and give them the money inside, the release said.
Investigators found a loaded handgun from Thompson and a loaded assault rifle from Morris, according to the release.
Thompson and Morris targeted this home in an effort to rob business owners, according to the news release.
Thompson was sentenced to 262 months total, followed by three years of supervised release, while Morris was previously sentenced to 272 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Thompson, who was previously convicted of armed robbery, assault with intent to kill, and carjacking, has spent nearly half of his life behind bars. There is no parole in the federal system.
At the time of the robbery, Thompson had just been released from prison earlier in 2017 after serving 14 years, according to the release.
“The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED),” the news release said.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.
“Home invasions will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law,” McCoy tweeted Wednesday. “Incredible courage of the young child in this case who called 911 while his mother was tied up during this robbery.”
The case was prosecuted as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative to reduce violent crime.
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